Cover sealing means



y 13, 1943- E. s. STODDARD 2,32 ,333

COVER SEALING mamas Filed Aug. 4, 1942 Inventor:

133 fia/w f w Hi5 Attorney.

Edgar 5. Stoddard,-

t c-iterated Ju'iy i3, 1943 COVER SEALING MEANS Edgar S. Stoddard, Berwyn, Ill., asslgnor to Edison General Electric Appliance Company, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Application August 4, 1942, Serial No. 453,538

Claims.

This invention relates to sealing means, more particularly to sealing means for effecting a substantially fluid-tight seal between a cover and a receptacle, such as the cover and vat of dishwashing apparatus, and it has for its object the provision of improved sealing means of this character.

In accordance with this invention in one form thereof, the sealing means comprises a body section which extends throughout the full peripheral length of the cover and which is secured thereto in a fairly rigid fashion.

Attached to the body member is a highly flexible flaring sealing section which isconstructed and arranged so that when the cover is closed one edge of the flared section yieldingly engages a section of the vat to effect a substantially fluidtight seal between the cover and the vat.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary,

vertical, sectional view taken through dish-washing apparatus embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through a portion of the dishwashing apparatus of Fig. 1, Fig. 2 being drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of a section of the washing apparatus shown in Fig. 1 and drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through 44 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken through a sealing member used in the washing apparatus of Figs. 1-4 and drawn to a larger scale than these figures.

Referring to the drawing, this invention has been shown in one form as applied to dishwashing apparatus comprising a vat I0 and a cover II. While these members may have any suitable shape, the vat Ill preferably will have a rectangular cross-section and the cover will have a corresponding shape in plan. Positioned within the vat are suitable open-work tray for receiving the dishes and utensils; only the upper tray Ila is shown in detail. It is supported upon parts H17 01' a lower tray which is not shown in detail. Also positioned within the vat is a suitable power-driven water circulating impeller (not shown) which functions to circulate water through the racks to cleanse the dishes and utensils supported in them.

The vat I0 is mounted within a suitable outer casing I2 which is provided with an upper supporting section I3 from which the vat I0 is suspended. As shown, the supporting section I3 is provided with an inwardly-extending horizontal flange Ila extending around the vat. The horizontal flange I30 is supported by means of 8. depending wall Ilb extending around the cover II, as shown, and this wall in turn is supported by means 01' a flat top wall I30, from the inner edge of which it depends. The top wall I30 is supported by means of an outer flange I341 at the lower end of which is an inwardly extending flange I3e. This flange, as shown, rests upon an inwardly extending flange I3} on the upper end or the casing l2.

The vat I0 at its top edge is provided with an outwardly-extending horizontal flange Ilia which overlaps the flange I311. The flange I30. at its inner edge supports a scrim of spaced downwardly-extending tabs I3g, one on each of the four sides of the flange; the vat is secured to these tabs by means of screws I3h. Interposed between the flanges Ilia. and I3a is a suitable sealing member M, which does not form the subject matter of this invention, but which is the subject matter of my separate application, Serial No. 452,008 filed July 23, 1942, and which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

The cover II, as shown, is provided with a peripheral flange I5 (extending downwardly when the cover is closed). At the lower end of the flange I5 is an inwardly extending substantially horizontal flange I6, and extending downwardly from the inner end of this flange I6 is a flange H; at the lower end of this flange I1 is an outwardly extending substantially horizontal flange I8. The flanges I5 and I I are substantially parallel, and the flanges I8 and I8 are substantially parallel both to each other and also the flange I00 on the upper edge of the vat l0.

At the rear the cover II is hinged so that it can be swung upwardly to an open position with reference to the vat and can be swung downwardly to its closed position. For this purpose, a pair of suitable hinge members I9 are provided. Each hinge member I9 comprises a fixed hinge arm 20 which at its lower end is secured to the vat ID in any suitable manner, as by screws 2|. The hinge further comprises an arm 22 pivotally secured to the fixed arm 20 in any suitable manner, as by means of a hinge pin 23. The movable hinge arm 22 is secured to the cover flange section I5 by means of suitable bolts 24.

The sealing means for effecting a substantially fluid-tight seal between the vat and cover includes a sealing member 25 formed 01' an elastic material, such as rubber, extending completely When it is assembled with th flange the curved section between the upper arm 25a and the middle arm 25b bears against the upper side of the flange l8 and the outer side of the flange II, as clearly shown.

Depending from the extremity of the lower arm 25c is a highly flexible sealing section 26 which is flared outwardly and downwardly, as shown. Between this section and the lower surface of the lower arm 250 is a space 21 (Fig. 5).

The straight sections of the sealing member 25.

between the corners of the cover are prevented from sagging, and the sealing member as a whole is rigidly secured to the cover by means of a U- shaped relatively rigid retaining member 28 which when applied to the cover has its upper leg received in the space 29 between the upper arm 25a and the middle arm 25b of the sealing member, and its other leg received in the space 21 between the lower arm 25c and the flared sealing section 26. This retainer member 28 extends throughout the full length of the sealing member so as to hold all sections thereof firmly against the flange l8. The retainer member 28 is not formed into a continuous length of material but is broken, as shown in Fig. 3, and at the two ends thereof there are provided supporting lugs 30. These lugs 30 have their'lower ends rigidly se cured to the retainer in any suitable manner, as by welding, and have their upper ends secured to the flange I5 by means of screws 31.

The highly flexible flared section 26 is so positioned that when the cover i l is closed, its lower edge yieldingly engages the flange Ilia oi the vat in order to efiect a substantially fluid-tight seal therewith preventing the escape of fluids from the vat. To increase the flexibility of the section 26 it is provided with a plurality of notches 32 extending throughout the full length of the section so as to cause the flared section to assume a shape somewhat similar to an extended fan.

Not only does the sealing means of this invention effect a substantially fluid-tight seal between the cover and the vat preventing the escape of fluids from the joint between these members, but it is constructed and arranged so that it is extremely simple to assemble with the cover. In order to assemble it, it is merely stretched around the periphery of the flange iii. The resiliency of the member itself is for the most part sufflcient to cause it to remain in its operative position on the cover. However, in order to prevent any tendency of the seal to sag, particularly in its straight sections, the U-shaped retainer 28 is provided. This member can readily be applied merely by opening it, so-to-speak, at the broken section, fitting it about the sealing member and then drawing the two ends together and securing the members 31 to the flange l5.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, or course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 0! the United States is:

1. Washing apparatus and the like comprising a vat provided with an opening therein. a cover for said opening provided with a peripheral flange, a sealing member having a body portion that is grooved to receive said flange, and is further provided with spaced-apart grooves opposite said first-named groove and said flange, a rela. tively rigid retainer provided with sections entering said spaced-apart grooves to secure said .body portion to said flange, and said body portion having a resilient section engaging a part of said vat adjacent said opening when the cover is closed so as to eflect a substantially fluid-tight seal between said cover and vat.

2. Washing apparatus and the like comprising a vat provided with a peripheral flange at its upper edge, a cover for said vat providedwith a peripheral flange, a resilient sealing member having in cross-section an 8shape fltted to said cover so that the space between the middle and lower arms 01' said sealing member receives said second-named flange, a U-shaped relatively rigid retaining member positioned opposite said secondnamed flange embracing the section of said S-shaped sealing member opposite said space between said middle and lower arms so that one arm of said retaining member enters the space between the upper and middle arms of said sealing member and its other arm-lies under the lower arm thereof, and a flared sealing section extending downwardly from the extremity of said lower arm having a part bearing against said other arm of said retaining member and another part yieldingly engaging said first-named flange when said cover is closed.

3. Washing apparatus and the like comprising a vat having a top opening therein, a flange at its upper edge extending outwardly therefrom, a cover for said vat, means pivotally mounting said cover for swinging movement upwardly and downwardly to open and closed positions, said cover having an outwardly extending flange which is over said first-named flange when said cover is closed, a sealing member for said cover having a U-shaped body section the two legs of which embrace said second-named flange, a relatively rigid U-shaped retaining member embrac ing said U-shaped body section, and said sealing member further having a resilient sealing section below said U-shaped section constructed and arranged to engage said first-named flange when said cover is closed so as to effect a substantially fluid-tight seal between-said cover and vat.

4. Washing apparatus and the like comprising a vat provided with a peripheral flange at its upper edge, a cover for said vat provided with a peripheral flange which is substantially parallel to said first-named flange when said cover is closed, a resilient sealing member extending throughout the full peripheral length of said second-named flange having in cross-section an.

S-shape fitted to said cover so that the space between the middle and lower arms 01' said sealing member receives said second-named flange, a U- shaped relatively rigid retaining member positioned opposite said second-named flange embracing the section of said S-shaped sealing member opposite said space between said middle and lower arms so that one arm of said retaining member enters the space between the upper and middle arm of said sealing member and its other arm lies under the lower arm thereof, and a flared notched sealing section extending downwardly from the extremity of said lower arm having a part bearing against said other arm of said retaining member and another part yieldingly en-.-

gaging said first-named flang when said cover is closed.

5. Washing apparatus and the like comprising a-vat having a top opening therein, and a flange at its upper edge extending outwardly substantially horizontally therefrom, a cover for said vat, means pivotally mounting said cover for swin ing movement upwardly and downwardly to open and closed positions, said cover having an outwardly-extending flange which is substantially parallel to said first-named flange when said cover is closed, a sealing member for said cover extending throughout substantially the full length of said second-named flange and having a U-shaped body section having its legs embracing said second-named flange, a relatively rigid U-shaped-retaining member embracing said U- shaped body section, and said sealing member further having a flared highly resilient sealing section below said U-shaped section constructed and arranged to engage said first-named flange when said cover is closed so as to eifect a substantially fluid-tight seal between said cover and vat.

EDGAR S. STODDARD. 

